Traditional pancakes consist of complicated ingredients that provide little nutritional value. And to make it worse, we drizzle the stack of cakes with butter and maple syrup to add flavor. Real maple syrup can cost about $9 per bottle, so most families use the knock-off syrup, which is just sugar.

To put it plainly... traditional pancakes weren't cutting it for me.

I've tried to make a better pancake before. I even made a green pancake using avocados... it was awful. :( ​

So you have no idea how excited I was to try a pancake that was actually Snackster Sam approved, easy to make, AND tasted delicious (do I dare say even better than traditional pancakes?!)! I promise, you can't taste the banana. These seriously taste like traditional pancakes. Plus we didn't think it needed butter or syrup... just some berries and a sprinkle of cinnamon was enough for us!

What I love about these three ingredient pancakes is that it allows children to help in the kitchen. With simple tasks such as cracking eggs, peeling bananas, and stirring, this is a recipe for kids as young as 18 months to help. Our whole family was involved in the process, which was a fun way to start our Saturday morning! My husband, a self-proclaiming flipper master, flipped the pancakes and my kids took turns helping Mom.

I encourage you to try this and make it your own! What variations did you add? Share your comments below!

Easy Banana Pancakes

DirectionsPreheat griddle to 350° or non-stick pan to medium heat.For every banana, add two eggs to the mixture. A family of four would want 6 eggs and 3 bananas.Add eggs and bananas to a mixing bowl. Add seasoning as desired. Using a potato masher, mash the banana and egg mixture (this will make for a thicker texture). You can also add the mix to a blender and blend until texture is smooth (this is easier and faster).Pour mixture onto griddle or pan. Flip pancake and cook on both sides. (We tested and found that if you wait three minutes before the first flip, it works best.) Top pancakes as desired and serve!

Try it and share your comments below!

Learn more about Snackster Sam in the lovable, rhyming children's book that helps kids make better food choices!

Danielle is the mother of two and creator of Snackster Sam. She has been concerned about healthy habits and nutrition for over a decade, and conducted an award-winning scientific study on portion control. She created Snackster Sam to make eating healthy more fun for parents and children. Learn more about the mission here.

My kids loved making these with me, and the plate of cookies was gone in no time. I didn't have to put a limit on how many cookies they could eat either!

So are you ready to learn how to make them? Get out a notepad... and then put it away. These are too easy you can memorize it! Which may come in handy when you have 2 lone bananas left on your counter (like I did). Plus, there are so many variations so you can make this recipe your own!

DIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 350° F. Mash ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl. In blender, blend rolled oats until it has a flour-like texture. Add oats to bananas and thoroughly mix. Add raisins or other variations. Roll mixture into small balls and place on non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges become golden brown. Place cookies on a cooling rack.

(This is the tough part!) These cookies get better with time! Wait until they are completely cool before enjoying. The banana flavor strengthens so the cookies are sweeter!

Danielle S is the mother of two and creator of Snackster Sam. She has been concerned about healthy habits and nutrition for over a decade, and conducted an award-winning scientific study on portion control. She created Snackster Sam to make eating healthy more fun for parents and children. Learn more about the mission here.

When you think of kids, you usually think of sticky and messy. And snot.​But I think of ICE CREAM. Because my kids always want it (and so does my husband). But ice cream is EXPENSIVE and it's loaded with ADDED SUGAR. The cheaper ice cream usually doesn't even contain the natural ingredients that are used to make homemade ice cream.

So on a mission (like Snackster Sam's), I found a recipe to make a knock-off ice cream. I modified it slightly and removed the added sugar.

What's amazing about this recipe?

It's SO EASY TO MAKE AND CONTAINS 3 INGREDIENTS!

AND YOUR KIDS WILL THINK IT'S REAL ICE CREAM. I PROMISE.

Bananas for Ice Cream

Ingredients:3 frozen RIPE bananas (if you cut up prior to freezing, it will be easier)Splash of milk, water, or milk alternatives - you don't need much!​Dash of cinnamon (optional, but oh so good)

Optional:Fruit toppings (blueberries, strawberries, bananas, etc)

Equipment:BlenderSpoons & bowls!

Put ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

A note on blending: You will need to be patient. The frozen bananas take a while to blend. Some people suggest cutting up the bananas prior to freezing, and this would make your blending time shorter. I don't really mind babysitting the banana. You want some liquid, but if you add too much, your mixture will turn out like a smoothie rather than an ice cream consistency. It is better to add more than subtract, so start with just a small splash.

Ok... so why is this the best EVER?

Glad you asked! A few reasons:

It's affordable.

I purchased my bananas at a discount - they were bruised and over ripe. Which is exactly what I wanted! If you can't get your bananas on sale, just store your bananas that are overripe in the freezer. Either way, bananas are much cheaper than ice cream.

I fooled my kids.

Every time I make this, I have the kids go to another room while I make the Bananas for Ice Cream. When they SEE and TASTE it, they BELIEVE it is ice cream from the store. It's actually funny to watch them look in the freezer later and ask for more "ice cream". They have no idea how I make it magically appear!

No, it doesn't taste like bananas.

If you have a picky eater who hates bananas, just try it. Frozen RIPE bananas taste so much different than non-frozen ones. Plus, if you add a dash of cinnamon or some other fruit on top, it masks any hint of banana.

There is so much room for variations!

What I love about this recipe is you can change it. For a change of flavor, you could add other FROZEN fruit (just keep bananas as the main ingredient). Let your kids experiment with seasonings (I bet ginger would be yummy!) and toppings. The possibilities are nearly endless!

​DID YOU TRY IT? Share your comments and experiences below!

Bananas are Snackster Sam approved! (Ice cream is not.)

Danielle is the mother of two, small business owner, and creator of Snackster Sam. She has been concerned about healthy habits and nutrition for over a decade, and conducted an award-winning scientific study on portion control. Danielle is an author and community activist who is passionate about helping people reach and exceed their personal and professional goals. Danielle is involved in numerous volunteer activities in the area. She believes philanthropy is as important as carving your own path. In her spare time, she enjoys relaxing on Rainy Lake with her family.